The NYTimes and the European press are on a witch-hunt against the Pope, and using 30 year old episodes of sexual abuse as the excuse to hint that the Pope should resign (and in his place, put a more politically correct person who will approve of the religion of modern promiscuity, abortion, and euthanasia).

But as a physician, could I point out that this number, albeit terrible, is actually a tiny percentage of victims, as compared with the millions who have been or are being exploited by sexual predators in the world?

Most of my experience has been with girls (as the only woman doc in the days when only 10 percent of doctors were women, one tended to get called in for these cases). But like any other “epidemic”, it has a spectrum, from being “mooned” to serial traumatic rape. But there are statistics out there.

In 2005, 83,850 children in the United StatesÂ Â reported to Child Protective Services, were determined to be suspected victims of child sexual abuse. The actual number is likely to be higher because these numbers reflect only children whose cases are investigated by Child Protective Services.2

About half of the girls I examined had no abuse, one quarter had minor trauma (i.e. touching) and the rest were abuse cases. Half of these cases went to trial; the others lacked physical evidence, and were not prosecuted, not to protect the predator, but to protect the victim.

The dirty little secret of the American justice system is that the trial was often more traumatic for the victim than the abuse itself. (Often the abuser claimed innocence, and the girl would have to go through repeated interrogations by aggressive defense lawyers; often we would plea bargain if we had physical evidence to spare the girl. In one case, we were happy when we caught the perpetrator in a lie and he pled guilty).

But not all cases were seen at the time of abuse. A lot of women revealed to me they had been abused as a child or teenager years earlier, but often the abuse was by family members so not reported at all (when reported, often the victim was accused of lying). Many of these women were depressed or had a history of substance abuse or promiscuity/multiple partners.

We identified 166 studies representing149 sexual abuse samples. Studies were methodologically limitedand definitions of sexual abuse varied widely. Prevalence estimatesvaried widely (by definition used and population studied),ranging from 4% to 76%. Boys at highest risk were younger than13 years, nonwhite, of low socioeconomic status, and not livingwith their fathers. Perpetrators tended to be known but unrelatedmales. Abuse frequently occurred outside the home, involvedpenetration, and occurred more than once.Â

Yet if you include age or coercion, the numbers might be higher:

In a study of male college students, Fromuth and Burkhart53found that the prevalence estimates of childhood sexual abusewere directly related to the definition of abuse. Prevalencewas 22% when either a graded age differential or coercion wasrequired, 14% when only the former was required, and 10% when both were required. Prevalence fell further to 8% when physical contact was required

Since only ten percent of males are gay or bisexual, this suggests that the gay community needs to do it’s own soul searching to root out the sexual predators in their midst: I suspect a lot of “homophobia” is a result of the abuse, but again, there is no hard data on this.

Another problem: Either abuse is now epidemic, or now there are more reports (I suspect both) Image from Pediatrics

UNICEF notes that sexual activity is often seen as a private matter, making communities reluctant to act and intervene in cases of sexual exploitation.

And in some of these countries, thousands of children are routinely exploited to serve the sexual needs of pedophiles, many of whom travel to these countries as “sexual tourists”. Yet this doesn’t include the casual abuse of street children or poor children exploited by family members or acquaintances.

While it is impossible to know the true extent of the problem, given its illegal nature, International Labour Organization (ILO) global child labour figures for the year 2003 estimate that there are as many as 1.8 million children exploited in prostitution or pornography worldwide. [4]

15 users commented in " The Real “Sexual Abuse” Cover-up "

A full blown Study that has nothing to do with the horrific evil of knowingly transfering who knows how many of know pedofiles to be in contact with more children…….. To justify the covering up of thousands of rapes.

and with globalization and the internet, the professional exploitation of children is growing…but largely ignored by the press…

One can point out that abuse and cover up is wrong, while still recognizing that the overwrought press coverage has a political agenda to destroy the Pope…who as John Allen pointed out has been trying to rid the church of this cancer for the last decade.

Judgment will be on the house of God that allows evil to reside in there mist.Because we are set to a higher standard by God
I have no Problem With Cathlice believers.Or the Pope,if he didnt in any way know abot any of this.

But i do have a problem If there has been covered up.An allowed to contenue to happen.When this took place,they would have to go back an see which Pope was in office.If this one knew,an kept silent.Gods word says we are set apart from the world,an should stive to live decent Holy lives as belivers.

So we know the systems of this world are messed up.When it comes to how,they have handled the child Rapes,molestations,an murders.But because of that,we shoulnt condon,it going on in God house.Which is suppose to be set apart Holy ground,a HOLY people,who through Gods word knows better than to harn little one,which Jesue said had profected praise. How can they praise God when the very people set aside to teach them,were molesters,or rapest. Shame,Shame Shame.If the hand of Judgement has fallen no one can stop it.I suggest people Pray that the truth be revealed,an the lies be stopped.

God says he will Judge the house of God first.Because we should know better.An if this has happened,an has been covered.Then they must pay the price.From God.Its a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.

Its like those who did this in the church,crusified Jesus all over again. No excuse for it.

When God starts punishing his people for a wrong such as this.I wouldnt touch it with a ten foot pole,for fear i would to be struck down. Harming innocent children sexualy in the house of God, Instead of argueing about the Pope,those who knew better,Had best fall on their faces before The King,of Kings,the Judge,an beg for mercy,because he will punish Those who rape,an molest children.Even to the point of shame,an death.An those who allowed it.If you dont believe me.Read what happened when he chose to punish his people,in The word. No Man can stop it!! Untill he says enough.

I agree also that enough isntn,an hasnt been done to help stop,help awarness to come out.Those who are attacking our children.This nation.as a whole has hidden this vile ugly thing to long.An they also should be help accountible.Judges who set small bonds,or short terms are given by them,early releases..For a SO/Rapest.An they need to be punised,if this happenes.Set a standered.Teachers the same should take place for them.Yes our Goverment,an System is a failure to our children.It should be a law in place if proven to have comitted these crimes against children.Then remove them investigate them,an if proven Guilty.Rid our society of them.Time to stop this,People need to band together fast an pray.That our Goverment will take a strong stand against this.In every home,an institution. Remember the time is now!!! Or tomorrow more children will be effected,harmed raped,an even murdered.

Hi Dr. Reyes,
Thank you for posting the statistics of truth in your BNN column.
I hope this puts the reality of the problem into the proper perspective for all of the anti-Catholic readers that insist it is only a Catholic priests’ problem. Please email me. I would like to reproduce the study on my own site.
Thank you,

Hugh J.McNichol

Tiffany said,

in April 1st, 2010 at 11:06 am

Oh – I get it.

Because other people do it, its ok.

Because its such a small percentage – it also makes it ok – so its not actually sexual abuse….. even though they raped children and covered it up.

Hence the title of your article “The Real Sexual Abuse Cover-up”. Because its the Catholic Church, they don’t count and we shouldn’t criticize them unless everyone else is brought up because its not fair. Bring up the fairness issue to the children that were molested for years.

In regard to Tiffany’s comment – no, none of what has happened in the Catholic Church is every OK. But, what has happened is that every other area – schools, other faiths, even families- have been left unexamined, unreported or ignored as the microscope has been placed on the Catholic Church.

Rather than use the horrors of the Church to blow open the door on all abuse and clean every house, every school and every place of evil the media keeps going on and on about the Catholic Church. This skewed approach leaves the other victims alone in their sorrow and pain and the perpetrators feeling as if they are safe from the spotlight.

Meena said,

in April 2nd, 2010 at 1:07 pm

Are you kidding me? This article is really trying to say that because lots of kids get sexually abused we shouldn’t be upset about so-called Catholic men of god doing it? Nancy Reyes, you should be ashamed of yourself. This is disgusting. YOU are disgusting.

KM said,

in April 3rd, 2010 at 12:35 am

I wonder how a victim of a pedophile priest would feel, reading your article, seeing their abuse reduced to a GRAPH, and the hollow hollow rationalization that ‘oh, lots of other people are abusing kids too.’ I find these attempts to minimize what has happened inside the Catholic church disgusting. NOTHING is right and appropriate in this situation but grief and sympathy for the victim, jail time for the rapists and molesters, and changes made so it never happens again. Stop trying to minimize it, “put it in context’, etc. The Catholic church harbored and protected child rapists. It was a wide-spread and accepted situation. No graphs take away that.

Bob said,

in April 3rd, 2010 at 11:32 am

I was molested and raped by my Lutheran minister, who also is my father. He molested and raped all of his sons, and at least 30 children in his flock. People above him were aware of the allegations, and did nothing! I’m not alone, I just wish the media would cover all victims of abuse, and how all institutions handled it in the 20th century.

All Judgement,an investigation should start,with the head,of the church
An work it way down,because if the head,isnt lining up.There trouble to come.

With the Church ,this is some of what i foundhttp://www.gotquestions.org/prayer-saints-Mary.html

With the goverment ,well you have that study

James said,

in April 4th, 2010 at 6:46 am

Thank you for this article – difficult reading. Seeing as Ireland is at the centre of this recent spate: a shocking statistic regarding abuse, which supports your thesis. The Irish Government commissioned a report into abuse, the SAVI Report; it found that about 3-4% of those who were abused were abused by clergy/religious, the rest were abuse by family, friends, people they knew etc. As of yet, while the media lead the charge against the Catholic Church, the larger problem remains unaddressed. In fact the media have played down the abuse, the deaths of young people and the disappearance of 500 young people in State care so as to pursue the Church. The SAVI report can be downloaded here:

For the majority of the world’s population, its not the abusers themselves that are the worst of this story. It is the coverup by people thought to have been trustworthy.

And any time abuse is covered up, inside of a family, or a school, or an organization, or a church, then the coverup itself is the worst sin of all. And it is a crime in most of the United States. A crime where you get put in prison for having committed it. Where are the coverup Bishops in prison? Where are the co-dependents in the Diocesan structure that are now in prison? They should go to prison, along with the abusers they let abuse.

They may not have meant to let them abuse, but they should have done a better job. If there were true contrition and not this unholy desire to protect the important clergy. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Sure there is plenty of abuse, but saying others do it to doesn’t change the Church’s problem here. Let’s see where the hypccrisy ends, shall we?

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